High School Days
by CSIslave
Summary: How can Grissom, a loner, Sara and Greg, two science geeks, Warrick, a dweeb, Nick, a jock, and Catherine, a prep, get along? Read and find out! Now completed
1. First Day

Okay! Really excited about this! I never really write, but I wanted to give this a whirl! CSI gang just entering High School. I know, I know… different ages. But bear with me here! GSR, NCR, and Warrick… well, he's so hot he can go on alone! Or maybe some OC later… Greg will find someone, I'm sure. Enjoy and review please!

Sara Sidle walked in the doors of Sunnyville High, her sneakers making no sound on the tiled floors. Everything sparkled, and Sara could smell some sort of cleaning solution. The first day of school always made Sara excited and nervous. Who would she meet? Would her new teachers be nice? Sara smiled, noticing that no one else, besides the teachers roaming the halls, seemed to have arrived yet. She sprinted up the stairs, following the map of the school to the science lab. She pressed her face eagerly to the window. The test tubes and bottles of indeterminate substances made her skin tingle. She smiled again. Suddenly, she fell to her side, and heard someone land on the ground next to her. She hit the ground hard with a small "oof" and sat up to look at the boy who had run into her. She was ready to blow up in his face, but she found him attractive. He had a dazed expression on his face and his curly brown hair was messed up. On the floor beside him was a copy of Les Miserables by Victor Hugo. Sara struggled to get up, her legs twisted awkwardly.

"I'm sorry. I was just reading… I didn't think anyone else was here," the boy said, scrambling to his feet and helping her up as well. She stood and brushed herself off.

"It's fine…" somehow this didn't seem enough for Sara. "I'm Sara Sidle. I'm a freshman here. How about you?"

The boy looked quizzically at her, unaccustomed to people being friendly to him. "Gill Grissom. I'm a freshman too."

"Nice to meet you Gil," Sara said, smiling at his boyishly handsome face and dazzling blue eyes.

"Call me Grissom," He said. "I'm more comfortable with that."

Sara smiled again, unable to look away from him. "Okay Grissom." They were standing there smiling at each other when a boy walked up to them, a sneer on his face.

"Careful Grissom. PDA's aren't allowed here. You should know that. You've probably read the rules at least 10 times, being the freak that you are," he walked off, still smirking. Grissom pursed his lips, annoyed.

"Ecklie. We were in Middle School together. He's always hated me." Sara had an urge to go find this Ecklie and kick his ass, but Grissom asked to see her schedule just as she was about to storm off. She smiled, glad that she had already found a new friend.

Okay, I'm not the best writer. But that's why I'm posting this crap, so I can get criticism and get better! TBC if I get any postive feedback.


	2. Classes

A/N: Thanks to all my reviews! You guys really cheered me up! thumbs up By the way, just in case anyone was wondering, this is placed in 2005, so everything is up to snuff, and also… I do not own CSI or any of its characters, but I wish I owned Nicky… oh well, maybe in some other fiction. Enjoy!

Sara and Grissom walked down the stairs, comparing schedules. The only classed they shared were Literature and Science, 3rd and 6th period. Grissom made witty, but kind comments that made Sara find that she couldn't stop smiling, something that rarely happened with her. Usually she was serious or frowning. Something about being with Grissom made her feel happier than ever. Grissom seemed different than anyone else in the school, but just his presence made her happier. The first bell rang and Sara and Grissom had to go to their first classes. Grissom went off to Shop, which he didn't seem too happy about, and Sara went to Math.

Grissom started out awkwardly, adjusting the goggles over his face as the shop teacher yelled out instructions on how to use the various tools to a group of jocks who had never even given Grissom a second glace. Grissom sighed and focused on the 12v impact drill.

Sara sat in algebra as the teacher sat at her desk, reading a large book. Tapping her pencil impatiently, Sara tried to focus on the problem, but several boys kept making kissy noises and flirting with her, and frankly, she found that she found distracting. It seemed like third period would never arrive. The door opened with a squeak, making everyone turn to see who was entering. A short African American boy tripped into the room. His glasses skidded across the room as he hit the floor. All the jocks laughed, but Sara jumped up, worried, and grabbed the boy's glasses. He was standing, looking highly embarrassed and trying not to look any of his classmates in the eye. Sara handed him his glasses.

"Here. Are you okay?" He looked up at her and Sara noticed his brilliant green eyes.

"Yeah, I'm fine," The boy said, putting his glasses on. "I'm Warrick Brown." He stuck out his hand.

"Sara Sidle. You have gorgeous eyes, by the way," she stated in her usual straightforward fashion.

Warrick smiled weakly. "People always tease me about them," he admitted to Sara.

Several of the boys who had been flirting earlier proved his point by elbowing each other and whispering something about "glow-in-the-dark green". Sara said to Warrick loudly, " Well, Warrick, that's because people are stupid." They shut up and shifted in their seats, looking away from the couple up front.

"Do you have a note?" The teacher asked, standing. Warrick stepped forward to give the teacher his note. She read it, then glanced at Warrick, then back at the paper. "Everyone, this is Warrick Brown." Oblivious to the fact that she was being ignored, the teacher pressed on. "Would anyone be willing to let Warrick sit next to them for the rest of the semester?"

Sara smiled at Warrick. "He can sit next to me, Miss Link." Sara walked up and tugged on Warrick's sleeve. He smiled thankfully at her. "Come on Warrick, I'll show you where you can sit," Warrick followed Sara down the aisle. "Just ignore them," Sara whispered, referring to the other boys, who were glaring jealously. Warrick sighed, glad that someone in his class was nice.

Grissom plucked off his goggles, disgusted. The class had been mostly the other boys throwing piece of wood and small nails at each other while Grissom stood aside with the teacher and asked questions about how the tools worked. Half the time Grissom knew more than the teacher about the tools. She unzipped his binder and pulled out his schedule. Next he had Drama. Now there was something that he could enjoy. Hoping for some cold reading of Shakespeare, he hurried down the hall.

"What do you have next Warrick?" Sara asked, leaning over to glance at his schedule.

Warrick looked at it, grimacing. "Art class," he said sourly, cramming his schedule into a book.

Sara felt her spirits drop. "Me too… art isn't my best subject," she said, gathering up her books.

Warrick smiled at her. "Mine neither."

Sara stood, waiting for Warrick. "Let's go," she sighed, already dreading it.

A smiling woman stood at the door, ushering students inside the art room. Sara and Warrick walked slowly up the door, talking about their days so far.

"I missed the bus, so I had to walk to school. That's why I came to class late." Sara smiled.

"I got here early, and I met this really nice boy. He's kind of strange, but really nice. His name's Gil, but he liked to be called Grissom. You'll probably meet him at lunch," she told him, suddenly worried that Grissom might not want to sit with her. They looked up at the smiling teacher.

"Hello children!" Sara felt her eyebrows rise. _Children?_ She glanced over and Warrick, who was looking like he couldn't believe it. "Today is a super day, and you're just going to _love_ art! I'm Mrs. Cast, but you can all call me Daisy! Come in, come in!" she pushed the reluctant couple forward.

Grissom entered the classroom. The teacher stood up front taking attendance. Grissom looked around the room. There were several seats open. One was next to a girl who looked disgusted as she looked him over. Grissom tried to ignore her and considered the other options. Another was next to several guys flexing their muscles at girls nearby, who giggled and batted their eyelashes. Looking quickly away, Grissom saw his last option. A boy with dark hair and brown eyes sat next to an empty seat. He was the only one in class with a book open. Taking a leap of faith, Grissom walked up to him and sat down. The boy glanced up at him, gave him a half-smile, and looked back at the teacher.

"Who are you?" the teacher asked, pointed at the boy next to Grissom.

"Nick Stokes, sir," he responded. Grissom detected a Texas accent in the boys' voice.

"And you?" the teacher pointed at Grissom.

"Gilbert Grissom," he said.

"_Gilbert_?" Several people laughed out loud, making Grissom blush involuntarily. Nick turned, gave him his full attention and introduced himself.

"I'm Nick. You like Drama?" he asked.

"Not yet," Grissom said truthfully. "Call me Grissom."

Nick smiled at him and class began.

And hour and twenty failed pencil sketch self-portraits later, they shuffled out of art, exhausted.

"What do you have now, Sara?" Warrick asked, adjusting his glasses.

Sara beamed, excited. "Literature! You?" Warrick frowned.

"I got Technology. Well, I guess I'll see you at lunch."

"Yeah, see ya!" Sara waved at him, walking as fast as she could towards her Lit. class.

Nick sat with Grissom, looking over their schedules. "Well, looks like we've got Literature together next, and lunch of course, and that's it." Everyone but a group of jock-looking boys had left. The jocks stood near the door, looking at Nick, then at the clock.

"You with them?" Grissom asked glancing nervously to the boys at the door.

Nick looked up. "You go ahead guys, I'll catch up," Nick shouted at them, and then looked back to the schedules.

"Friends of yours? Grissom asked Nick.

"Yeah, we've played football together for years," he replied, handing Grissom back his schedule. "Should we go?"

Suddenly, Grissom's heart rate seemed to increase. "Literature's next?" he asked Nick, trying not the blush.

"Yeah, why?" Nick asked, confused. Grissom walked quickly towards the door.

"Let's hurry. Don't want to be late," Grissom shot over his shoulder, smiling to himself.

Sara saw the door for Lit class and broke into a run. Grabbing the doorknob, she shoved the door open and stumbled in, glancing around quickly.

Grissom wasn't there.

Sara sighed and looked at the clock. Class was about to start, and she didn't want to sit alone. She looked at open seats and spotted a boy with spiky brown hair tapping his fingers on his desk as if he was playing the drums. Smiling, Sara sat next to him. Startled, the boy looked over at her. Sara looked quickly around and found the seating was perfect; not only was she next to someone who looked interesting, but just in case Grissom showed up, there was an empty seat right in front of her and one beside her.

The boy leaned across the aisle and said, "Hey, I'm Greg. What's your name?"

"Sara. Nice to meet you," unsure what to expect from this boy, Sara kept looking at him.

"So, what's a girl like you doing in a boring class like this?" Greg asked, smiling at her.

Sara smiled back. "You know, you're the first boy all day to hit on me in some other way then grunting, making kissing noises and showing of your muscles," she said, flattered at the attention from a boy who seemed smarter than a lot of the boys here. "What make you so special?"

"Well, you see, all the other boys here are probably desperate jocks, obsessed with themselves. Now me, I'm a desperate scientist, obsessed with molecules and atoms." Sara smiled at Greg and leaned back in her seat. She was just about to ask him if he knew Grissom when a tall dark haired boy walked into the classroom. He sat next to Sara, who felt her heart tighten. Grissom walked in right behind the boy, and Sara let out a nervous sigh. Grissom saw Sara and smiled at her.

"Hey Griss! Come sit in front of me," she said, pointing at the seat in front of her. Grissom slid into the seat, and the teacher stood, about to start class. Grissom turned and leaned towards Sara. She leaned in towards him to hear what he was whispering.

"It's great to see you again Sara," Grissom said genuinely. Sara bit her lip to focus on stopping herself from breathing in the smell of him. _Just a whiff of his hair, he won't even notice…_ Sara closed her eyes and sniffed the air. Nothing. She opened them to see Grissom had already turned around to face the front.

"Friend of yours?" Greg asked, sounding a little disappointed.

Sara smiled at Greg. "Yeah. I guess he is."

Questions? Comments? Any remarks whatsoever? Sorry the chapters aren't too long; I'm still a little timid about this! Remember, reviews are always needed! Thanks everyone!


	3. Bathroom Blues

A/N: Hey all! Thanks again for a round of great reviews! I'm going to start responding to the signed ones, so here goes.

**Veronica10:** Thanks a lot! I'll update as much as possible!

**Saraandgreg4ever:** Thanks, you're great! Don't be miserable! Then I'll be miserable… sniffle

**Totallly Random:** Greg is an awesome character; I'll try to have him in there a lot! I don't think I'm going to add the minor characters because I don't have TV so I don't get to watch CSI as much as I'd like, therefore I don't think I know those characters well enough to write about them, but as the story goes on, who knows?

**VeganCSI:** Will do!

And of course, thanks to all my anon. reviewers! You guys all rock and are really the backbone of my writing! Kisses and virtual wads of cash for you all! As always, I do not own CSI or any of its characters, nor do I own Romeo and Juliet or anything by William Shakespeare. Now, enjoy chapter 3!

Sara couldn't focus. The teacher, Mr. Hocker, was talking about an important assignment that would take place throughout the whole year, but all Sara could think of was Grissom's bright blue eyes. The teacher passed out a survey for each student to fill out, and all Sara could think of as she half-heartedly filled in the answers is what Grissom was filling in. The teacher asked the students to get into groups of two, one boy and one girl and Sara found she was frozen stuff, hoping with all her might that Grissom would approach her.

Her heart seemed to do back flips when Grissom turned around and asked casually, "Partners?" Sara nodded, not trusting herself to speak. Grissom smiled and turned his chair so he could face her. Grissom looked across the room to see Nick had been paired with a red-haired girl who was giggling and flipping her hair at Nick, who was trying to hide an obvious look of disgust. Sara looked at the two unsurely, and then faced Grissom.

"Is he a friend of yours?" she asked. Grissom sighed and turned away from the two. "I don't exactly know, Sara. We just met. His name's Nick Stokes, and he seems like a nice guy. But…"

"Looks can be deceiving," Sara finished. "I know that too well for my own good." Grissom raised his eyebrows. "Explain." Sara nearly got snappy, but Grissom said it more as a request than a demand, so she pressed on. "Middle School, my first boyfriend. He carried book around all the time, wore glasses, so I assumed he would be a smart, safe guy. In the end, he wanted what all guys wanted." Grissom coughed, unused to someone being so honest and straightforward. The teacher interrupted them by clearing her throat.

"Today we'll read through one scene of Romeo and Juliet, by William Shakespeare. First we'll read it in our couples, then we'll have each person come up and read out loud with their partner, then the class will vote on the best boy and girl and they will read it for the whole class together. Everyone understand? Good!" Mr. Hocker passed out as script to people and told them to get busy. "Flip to page 50, please, and being with Juliet's 'Aye me'." Sara flipped to it and could quickly tell that it was a love scene, and then she remembered she would be reading it with Grissom. Unsure of how she felt, Sara cleared her throat and began.

"Aye me," she squeaked, and already she could feel her face burning.

"She speaks," Grissom said. His voice had an airy sound that he usually didn't talk with, and his face grew serious and entranced, as if he were hypnotized by a lovely dream. Sara couldn't take her eyes off of him. "O speak again bright angel, for thou art as glorious to this night being o'er my head as is winged messenger of heaven…" Sara watched, amazed, as Grissom transformed into a whole new person. Grissom, who had only met her today, was now looking tenderly at her with love shining in his eyes. That's when it hit Sara that she had only met Grissom today, and she probably had been throwing him those looks since the beginning of school. When she did it, though, she didn't even mean to. It wasn't acting. _What's happening to me?_ She looked up at Grissom, who was just finishing. "… Sails upon the bosom of the air." He looked up at her, seemingly love-struck and astounded by every aspect of her. Sara looked sadly down at her script. _It's all an act,_ she reminded herself. _Don't let it go to your head._

Half and hour later, Mr. Hocker asked the class to stop reading. He looked around at his class, proud. He noticed one of his students rubbing at her eyes while her partner talked to another student who he recongnized as Nick Stokes, just transfered from Texas. He smiled, looking forward to a year of teaching this group of kids. "Will..." he looked down at his attendance sheet. "Sara Sidle and her partner please come to the front?" Sara rose, already feeling like her headwas about to explode from pressure. Grissom stood too, although he looked like he didn't have a care in the world. Sara bit her bottom lip nervously as Mr. Hocker said " Please begin." Everything went fine until Sara got to the part where she had to ask Grissom to marry her. She started stumbling nervously and couldn't seem to stop.

"If... um, if thy bent of love honerable... love... I mean, Thy purpose marraige... marraige? Oh, um, Send me word tomorrow..." A few soft snickers came from the back of the room and Sara bowed her head, trying to not cry. Suddenly, she feltas if a weight had been lifted off her shouders. She closed her eyes blissfully. Sheopened her eyesand saw that Grissom had placed his warm hand on her shoulder in comfort. Sara pushed away the feeling that nothing could go wrong panicked and shugged him off. "Mr. Hocker, may I use the restroom?" she said, a note of panic in her voice. Mr. Hocker nodded and she ran into the hall.

In the safety of a locked bathroom stall, Sara punched the wall bitterly. "What's wrong with me! I just met him today! This is RIDICULOUS! How can I be so stupid?" she shrieked out loud. "Grissom probably hates me anyway. God, what's WRONG with me?" Fighting tears, Sara slid to the floor silently. Someone outside her stall cleared their throat. Sara's eyes widened, and she remained on the floor in her stall. "Is someone out there?" She whispered.

"Look up," a voice above her said. Her head shot up to see a pretty blonde girl looking critically at her. "Hey, are you okay?" The blonde looked like she couldn't decide whether to feel sorry for Sara or to send her off to a loony bin. Sara wiped away tears she hadn't realized had fallen and stood.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Hey, sorry about that." The blonde kept staring. "You know, school's tough and all..." the blonde brushed hair out of her eyes and looked quizically at Sara.

"Who's Grissom? A teacher?" she asked, her voice not showing what she thought. Sara turned red for the umpteenth time that day.

"Well..." something about the girl made her want to spill everything, but she didn't even know her.

"Hey, you can trust me," the blonde said, jumping down from the stall and coming around to the front of Saras'. Sara eased open the door and came out to stand next to the blonde. She had stylish clothes and a no-nonsense face with a hint of a smile in her eyes. "I'm Cathrine, by the way. Catherine Willows." She stuck out her hand. Sara took it uneasily.

"Sara Sidle. And Grissom's just a boy..." Catherine laughed.

" **Just **a boy? He seems to have you pretty upset," she said, still laughing. Sara smiled weakly at Cathrine.

"Alright, so he's kind of... frustrating."

"Go on..." Catherine said, hoisting herself up onto the counter and sitting.

"Well, like you probably heard me, um, saying-"

"Screaming," Catherine corrected. Sara glared at her and continued.

"-That we had just met today, and well, he's kind of driving me crazy... I mean, when I'm around him, I feel so many confusing things, and I can't tell if it's making my life better or worse, but for the two periods were weren't together, he was all I could think of. But I think maybe I'm crazy or something, because we just met. And I don't even know if he likes me," Sara finished, looking sadly at the linolium floor. Catherine reached out at hugged her shoulder.

"Hey Sara, it's gonna be okay. Look, like you said, he's just a boy, and you can't let him get you worked up! Pretend you own the world, and turn on a bit of your feminine charms." Catherine jumped down from the counter and demonstrated by strutting around, flipping her hair over her shoulder and looking sweetly at Sara. She stopped and laughed at herself. "Just do some of that, get real close to him, and if the guy has any sense, he'll come running."

"Sara?" someone called from the door. Sara smiled at Cathrine.

"Thanks for all your help, Cathrine. You're really nice," Sara walked out the door.

"See ya at lunch!" Catherine called after her.

Greg was outside the girls bathroom leaning against the door, checking his watch anxiously.

"Hey Greg," Sara said, touching his shoulder gently. Greg jumped, startled.

"Hey Sara! Are you okay?" He asked. Sara was suprised to see he looked genuinley concerned.

"Did the teacher send you out here to get me, Greg?" she asked, looking into his eyes. Greg drew back a little.

"No. I was worried about you, so I came to check up on you!" Sara smiled at his kindness. "So Sara, I was wondering-"

"Sara?" Grissom came down the hall, looking worried. He seemed caught off gaurd to see Greg leaning in close to Sara and paused for a moment. Then the worry was gone from his face and he walked up to the two.

Awkwardly, Sara made introductions. "Greg, this is my friend Grissom," she said, unsure what they would think of eachother. Grissom gave Greg a small nod, and Greg looked like he could kill Grissom for inturupting. Sara suddenly pictured Cathrines' face and turned to Grissom, stepping closer to him so that their chests were almost touching. Sara felt her heart beatingquicklyand was afraid Grissom might be able to feel it. _Please let this work. If it doesn't,all I will havedone is made a fool of myself. _Grissom faltered, his face turning red and his eyes widening in shock. "Was there something you wanted, Grissom?" she asked, her voice raising a pitch and batting her eyelashes. Grissom stepped back.

"The period's over. They haven't chosen the best Romeo or Juliet yet. We ran out of time. What's your next class?" Sara pulled out her shedule, recluctant to pull away from the warmth of Grissoms' body. "Look like I have tech with Warrick," she told Grissom, abandoning the charm completley. Grissom nodded.

"I think Nick's in that class as well," he told Sara.

"Who's Nick?" Sara asked.

"The boy who walked into Lit. before I did," he informed her. Greg tapped Sara on the shoulder.

"Hey, I have tech too!" he said, trying to hold back his excitment.

"Well, we might as well go," Sara said, not ready to leave Grissom yet. Grissom, however, had already started walking down the hall.

"I'll see you at lunch, Sara. Greg," he said, waving and turning away. Sara watched him go until he was out of sight. Then Greg pulled her back into the real world and they walked together to their next class.

Hey everyone! Hope you enjoyed it! BTW, I keep seeing things about challenges, like someone give you a first and last sentence and you write with that. Can anyone tell me how to find those? Remember, review review review!

Thanks! E


	4. Notes, Emails and General Shock

A/N: Yay! I'm having so much fun with this story! However, I hate to have to do this every time... I do not own CSI or any of its characters. Now replies:

**Ambient Flames**: Thanks for the spelling correction!

**Gossamerwings7**: I suppose that I don't really know what High School is like quite yet, but I'm going in soon, so I think I have the general idea of what it's like. I wrote the first part at my mom's house, which has spell check, and the second part at my dad's, which doesn't. From now on, though, for the sake of the readers, I'll send all chapters home to my mom's to be spell checked before I post, and sorry about that! No sex in this story, mostly because I don't support sex in high school, especially in the freshman year! Thanks for all the constructive criticism; it really helps build the story!

**Berta101**: Thanks a lot!

**IIth-mistress**: I'm writing as fast as I can! Lol

**EllowynTinuviel**: Thanks. Thanks for the place to find challenges, too!

**Missusmesser**: Sara and Greg are cute together, but I just can't see them together for a long-term relationship! I may have them date later, but don't count on it, because I'm a SERIOUS Grissom/ Sara shipper and I don't think I could put my heart into Sara/Greg. Maybe I'll write a different Sara/Greg story just for you!

**Leothelion04**: Thanks, and they're in freshman. I decided I'm safest there since I'm almost a freshman myself.

Thanks to all my anon. Reviewers, as always. Now, enjoy!

As Grissom walked slowly into Home Economics class, two things were on his mind. One; how did he get signed up for a class like home ec and Two; why was Sara, who he had just met, affecting him like this? He had never felt so clueless in his life. Sara seemed too good to be real. She had befriended him when no one else would, she was smart, and the way she smiled made his heart hammer in his chest. How could she affect him like this? Grissom rubbed his forehead, trying to relieve stress. I have to just close up around her, he decided silently, or I'll make a complete fool of myself and she'll never like me. He closed his eyes to clear his head and ran straight into the door. Shaking his head, Grissom opened the door and walked in.  
A cold looking teacher walked briskly up to him. "I'm Miss Cota, what's your name and where will you be sitting?" she asked in one breath, waiting with a poised pencil. Grissom looked around the room. Most people were already seated and Grissom noticed two empty seats. He picked the far one.

"I'm Gil Grissom, and I'll take the far seat over there." Grissom walked to his seat and sat down, looking out the window at the leaves falling off the trees. He felt someone standing next to him and looked up. A blonde girl stood next to him, hands on her hips.  
"You're Grissom?" she asked, looking him up and down.  
Confused, Grissom responded, "Yes I am." The blonde smiled at him and plunked down into the seat next to him.  
"I'm Catherine Willows. So you're Grissom, huh?" Grissom nodded, still confused. "Well, I met your friend, Sara?" Grissom quickly pulled out a book, yanked it open and buried his face in it to hide the red that already covered his face. Catherine spoke from the other side of his book.  
"What are you doing?" Her voice sounded skeptical, like Grissom wasn't what she expected.  
"I just remembered that I'm at a really great part in this book," Grissom fibbed quickly, not un-covering his face.  
"Oh really..." Catherine said, her voice a little sing-song. "Your book's upside down, hot shot." Grissom slammed his book down and Catherine laughed out loud.  
"Oh, so it's like THAT with her, is it?" Grissom shot her a cold look.

"Sara is just a friend," he said, careful to keep his voice even. Catherine sighed and stood.

"Hey, can I sit next to you?" She asked, already walking away to grab her books.

Confused as ever, Grissom responded, "Um… sure," and Catherine grabbed her binder. Grissom turned and watched as her friends looked at her questioningly. Catherine bent over and whispered to her friends,

"What!" Grissom heard one of them shriek in alarm. "You're sitting next to that ugly loser?" Grissom looked away, hiding how much this remark hurt him. He felt Catherine sit down next to him, but he didn't look up. She touched his shoulder.

"Sorry about them. They just expect everyone to be perfect," she apologized to Grissom. He turned and looked at her. She looked sincere, so he sighed and forgave her. Class started with the teacher introducing herself, and Grissom saw Catherine's hand slide over to inside of his desk and then pull quickly out. Alarmed, Grissom ducked his head down to see what she had taken. He saw a folded piece of paper inside his desk and he pulled it out.

So Grissom, where do you fit in to the whole school system?

He pulled out a pencil and scribbled;

What do you mean?

He passed it quickly to Catherine. He saw her read it out the corner of his eye. She scoffed and wrote, then slipped it back to him.

Like are you a jock, popular, nerd, smart… what?

Grissom sighed. He barely knew Catherine and already she was asking about sensitive areas of his life. He wrote back;

It's like I don't exist. Is that a category?

Catherine read it and wrote back;

I don't mean to be nosy. And doesn't Sara like you? Don't you have friends?

Grissom smiled gently at the thought of Sara, and then wrote;

I suppose Sara is my friend. I also met a boy named Nick Stokes today, and he's nice. It's just hard to tell what people think of me.

We should pay attention.

Catherine wadded up the paper and crammed it into her desk. Grissom cringed, thinking she was mad, but she turned and smiled at him thoughtfully.

"Gilbert!" The teacher barked. Grissom jumped in his seat and looked up at the teacher. "Please come up to the front and tell us something about yourself!" Grissom stood warily and walked up to the front. He looked at his classmates, who were staring at him. Nervously, Grissom cleared his throat.

"I'm Grissom. I like bugs…" everyone in the class but Catherine snickered.

"And what do you do in your spare time?" The teacher said.

" I help the police with… autopsies and I help at the morgue…" Grissom said, waiting for the cruel comments he was sure were about to come. Sure enough, some boy in the back yelled out, "No wonder you smell like crap. You hang around dead bodies all day!" This brought the class into a fit of laughter. Grissom looked helplessly at Catherine, who stood furiously and turned to face the class.

"What's wrong guys, you jealous? Grissom knows more than you will ever know. In fact, he's so much smarter than you that I'm asking him to the first dance of the year." Grissom took a step back and Catherine turned to face him, her eyes sparkling mischievously. "How about it, Gil? Will you go to the autumn dance with me?" Grissom, caught of guard, mumbled, "Yes," before he could even think about it. Catherine turned, grinned smugly at several boys who looked like their hearts were breaking, and sat back down. Grissom, still flabbergasted, took his seat. Catherine winked at him and he just stared.

Sara walked into Tech, looking around the room for Warrick. He was seated at a circular table with four computers. Sara grinned and walked over to sit next to him. Warrick looked up warily and he smiled when he saw who it was.

"Hey Sara," he said, standing and hugging her briefly. Alarmed, Sara stood for a moment and then hugged him back. Warrick took a seat and so did Sara. Soon Greg walked in and immediately saw Sara sitting with Warrick. His face falling, he walked cautiously towards them.

"Is it alright if I sit here?" he asked, motioning to the chair on the other side of Sara.

"Go ahead, Greg," she said, glad that she was surrounded by people she knew. "Greg, this is Warrick. Warrick, Greg." Warrick nodded coolly and Greg did the same. Sara looked around the room. The teacher was nowhere in sight. Feeling a bit rebellious, Sara logged onto her e-mail. Her inbox had one e-mail in it from her middle-school friend Veronica. She double clicked and read it.

Hey Sara! How's your High School? Mine totally sucks! Not only are the teacher's all jerks, but there must be a hottie shortage here or something! Keep your eyes open for me! Gotta keep this short since I'm writing from school, but I wanted to tell you that I'm going on a road trip to Santa Monica with my brother this weekend, and you just gotta come with! And remember, ask the guys there for me if they wanna hook up. LOL, have a great day sweetie!

VeRoNiCa

Sara laughed at her friends' eagerness to get a boyfriend. Then a thought popped into her mind. She turned to Greg, a wide grin on her face.

"Hey Greg, would you like to meet a friend of mine?" she asked. Greg raised his eyebrows.

"Why?" Sara continued to smile.

"Well, she asked if I knew any smart single cute boys who might want a girlfriend who's a cheerleader. But if you're not interested…" Greg's' expression changed and he nodded quickly at Sara, who laughed, and wrote down her e-mail address for him. _Everyone's so eager to fall in love,_ she thought. Grissom flashed across her mind and she smiled sadly.

"Are you okay?" someone across the table asked. Sara looked up. During her conversation with Greg the last computer at their table had been occupied by a handsome boy who Sara recognized as Nick Stokes. She smiled at him.

"Yeah, sorry, just thinking…" Nick smiled understandingly at Sara. The teacher entered the room and they all turned.

"Please turn on your computers," the teacher droned in a monotone voice. Sara quickly turned off her screen and tried to focus.

Sorry, I'm so sleepy! I promise the next chapter everyone will meet at lunch! Until then, please review! And everyone tell me, will you be disappointed if I leave Brass and Doc Robbins out of the story? Thanks!


	5. Chaotic new emotions

A/N: I continue to LOVE writing this story, mostly because I can wake up, get dressed, and start the day smiling by reading all the reviews from the readers! Because I love ya all so much, I'm responing to anonnomys reviewers now! First off, I do not own CSI or any of it's characters.

Islanders- 15: I'll put in something to divide the two POV's from now on. Thanks for the advice!

unfortunateforever: Thanks! Kids are jerks, and I'm just bringing that reality into this story, but in most cases, there are also great people like Catherine!

berta101: I'll probably stick Brass in there, but I was just wondering to myself how he would fit into "the system"? I just don't know what group he'd be in! So if you could think of something, tell me!

Gossamerwings7: Thank you so much! I always worry that readers will get lost, but I'll try to lay off it a bit. Thanks for the critique!

!robin: I let Greg have some shots here, because there's a lot of Greg/Sara shippers out there. I plan to hook Greg up with an OC, and sorry if he sounded obsessed!

justme: Alrighty Greg Fan! Thanks for the lovins'. Love you, sissy!

EllowynTinuviel: Really? Everyone tells me freshman year is really hard! Well, I have an evil plot in my mind for the dance thing. Also, what a great way to get obsessing boys off your back about a dance date! Most preps, in my experience anyway, are nice when their apart from their groups and in the groups, STAY AWAY! I just can't imagine Catherine being really mean, so I'll keep her away from the groups for the most part. Thanks for the review!

leothelion04: I don't really mean to write certian relationships into this! I just write what I think would happen if the chracters were places in certain situations, and whatever comes out comes out!

DvD: Dad, you're such a weirdo! But thanks. I love you!

Enjoy!

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The dog likes to run and leap. Enter.  
The turtle is a very slow animal. Enter

Sara sat back, frustrated. Warrick leaned across his computer and whispered in her ear.  
"Didn't we practice with these when we were in third grade?"  
"Reading my mind," Sara grunted back. She had always hated typing. She was more of a research kind of girl. Sighing, she got back to work.

The fox family lives in a hill. Enter.

"Hey, Sara, is this your friend?" Greg sat back from his computer so Sara could get a look. Her friend Veronica smiled up at her, her brown hair up in a ponytail and her cheer outfit on. Sara leaned forward in disbelief.  
"I didn't know she had a picture on the computer." Greg grinned.  
"She probably doesn't know it either."  
"How'd you do that?"  
"I can do anything," Greg boasted. Sara lightly punched his shoulder and the bell rang.  
"Go to lunch!" The teacher said. Sara picked up her bags, already feeling her heart thumping wildly.

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"Catherine, what were you thinking?" Grissom seethed in the hall. Catherine was still laughing.  
"Lighten up, Grissom. It got them off your back!" After a moment of thought, she added, "And mine." Grissom ran his hand through is hair.  
"There are two problems with this. Number one, I can't dance."  
"Everyone can dance, Grissom, just some people are too afraid to try."  
"Number two, people might get the wrong idea," he concluded. Catherine grinned.  
"Who you thinkin' of, Gil?" she teased. Grissom shot her a venomous look and kept walking.  
"Look Grissom, the dance is Friday. It's Wednesday now. We have two and a half days to figure out what we want to do about this dance thing. But I'm telling you know, unless you get another date for the dance, I am not un-inviting you. You'll be pulverized." Grissom sighed, realizing that Catherine had a point. They reached the lunchroom and Catherine walked straight in, leaving a hesitant Grissom in the doorway. Realizing he wasn't walking with her, Catherine turned sharply on her heel and looked directly into his eyes.  
"You just gotta grit your teeth and do it," she told him, not looking away. Grabbing his hand, she pulled him into the lunchroom. Grissom looked around for Sara. He found her fairly quickly leaning against the soda machine. She had her head tilted to the side and she was laughing at something that Nick had said. Grissom felt jealousy deep within his stomach, but as he had agreed with himself earlier, he kept his face blank. Catherine released him and Grissom looked over at her. A blush had found its' way to her cheeks and she was looking uncharacteristically meek. Grissom followed her eyes to Nick, who, it seemed, was doing an Elvis impression for Sara. Grissom saw an African American boy with glasses and a boy with spiky hair sitting down near where Sara and Nick were standing. Catherine continued to stare, a dreamy smile passing over her face. Grissom shook his head and walked towards the table. Catherine followed him, not paying attention to her surroundings. Nick turned, still laughing at himself, and saw Grissom.  
"Hey Griss!" he called, waving him over.  
"Hi Nick," Grissom called back. Sara seemed to jump at the sound of his voice. She looked up and smiled at Grissom, then saw Catherine.  
"Hey Catherine! Catherine?" Snapping back into reality, Catherine turned to face her.  
"What?"  
"Are you okay? You're spacing out." Catherine looked confused, then suddenly smiled at Sara.  
"Boys, we'll be right back," she told the four boys who were sitting at the table. Sprinting down the hall as fast as she could without getting in trouble for running, Catherine headed straight for the girls bathroom, Sara tailing close behind.

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"So, how were everyone's classes?" Nick asked conversationally, sipping on a thermos of coffee he had brought from home. Grissom looked up at the other boys, who were looking down at the table. He starting drawing circles on the table with his finger. Nick hit himself in the forehead. "Sorry, I forgot to introduce everyone. Sara already did intros, but you were late Grissom, so I'll fill you in. This is Greg," he said motioning to the spiky haired boy who gave a small wave. "He's captain of the chess club. And this is Warrick." The other boy nodded uncomfortably. "And guys, this is Grissom." Everyone sat in silence for a moment, and then Greg broke out into a smile.  
"Alright, I know we just met, but this ground has got to be covered while the ladies are away. Who's dating who here?" Nick and Warrick smiled and Grissom continued to look down.  
"Do you really think girls date guys like me?" Warrick asked, scoffing.  
"I'm single... sadly," Nick laughed.  
"What about you Grissom?" Grissom looked up. The three boys were looking at him, genuine interest reflected in their faces. He sighed.  
"I think girls are a waste of time." He saw Greg's jaw drop in disbelief and he continued. "They get in the way of everything. The future is so much more than having a girl want to be with you."  
Nick nodded. "I know where you're coming from, man. But for me, if I like someone, it's gonna be special, you know what I'm saying? I'm not just gonna date any girl that moves. I think you should just know when it's someone you want to be with." Grissom reminded himself of his deal and turned away.

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Catherine was pacing the bathroom while Sara stood next to the paper towels, watching her friend anxiously.  
"Cath, are you okay? We've been in here for three minutes now and all you've done is pace!" Catherine suddenly stopped and looked at Sara.  
"You know about the Autumn Dance, right?"  
"Yeah..."  
"Do you have a date to it?"  
"Well, no. I'm too nervous to ask who I want to, and there's no other boys in this school that I like."  
"Well, you know that boy who was standing by you?"  
"Who, Nick?"  
"Yeah... Nick. Nick told me that he really wanted to ask you to the dance as a friend, but he was nervous."  
"Catherine, Nick and I just met today." Catherine just glared at Sara.  
"Look, just trust me on this. Ask him to the dance." She could feel Sara's hesitation. "Please? For me?" Sara sighed.  
"Fine. You win. I was going to ask Grissom, but he'd probably say no. But you owe me!" Catherine smiled.  
"Believe me, you'll be owing me when the dance comes."  
The two girls walked out of the bathroom.

> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >

"Hey, where you been Sara?" Nick yelled across the now crowded cafeteria. "And... who's your friend?" Catherine looked up at Nick through her eyelashes.  
"I'm Catherine Willows." Nick grinned at her. She lifted her head and smiled back. Sara gently pushed Catherine into her seat, leaning over to whisper, "What happened to acting all flirty and getting in his face?" Catherine just shrugged, still smiling at Nick. Sara looked to Nick, who was also grinning. Shaking her head, Sara took her seat next to Grissom. He was looking down at the table, not touching his food.

"Grissom?" Sara gently touched his sleeve. He quickly stood and Sara jerked back, hurt by this rejection.

"Does anyone want a soda?" He asked the table. Greg asked for a mountain dew and Warrick said he could use a coke.

"I'll have a Pepsi."

"I'll have the same," Catherine said, glancing at Nick. Grissom hurried off to get everyone their drinks. Sara quickly wiped a tear away and turned to talk to the table.

"So, Greg, you gotten in touch with Veronica yet?"

"Nope. I'll write her as soon as I get home, though. Or maybe call her."

"I didn't give you her phone number!" Greg just smiled at Sara. "Oh right. 'You can do anything'."

"Double technology bites, man," Warrick was telling Nick at the other end of the table. "Not only does the teacher stink, but I'm not learning anything in that class!"

"I know what you mean. Typing about fluffy animals isn't gonna help us in life."

"What classes does everyone have for the rest of the day?" Greg asked, pulling out his schedule. There was a loud rustling as everyone else pulled out their schedule. Sara half- heartedly pulled hers out. Grissom sat next to her and she tried not to look at him, though she could feel him looking at her. Greg collected everyone's schedules and quickly made a list. He set the list in the middle so everyone could get a look.

GRISSOM:

Per. 1 Shop

Per. 2 Drama

Per. 3 Literature

Per. 4 Home Ec.

Per. 5 P.E.

Per. 6 Science

Per. 7 Social Studies

CATHERINE:

Per. 1 Technology

Per. 2 P.E.

Per. 3 Meal Management

Per. 4 Home Ec.

Per. 5 Math

Per. 6 P.E.

Per. 7 Social Studies

SARA:

Per. 1 Math

Per. 2 Art

Per. 3 Literature

Per. 4 Technology

Per. 5 Social Studies

Per. 6 Science

Per. 7 P.E.

GREG:

Per. 1 Science

Per. 2 Math

Per. 3 Literature

Per. 4 Technology

Per. 5 Home Ec.

Per. 6 Social Studies

Per. 7 P.E.

WARRICK:

Per. 1 Math

Per. 2 Art

Per. 3 Technology

Per. 4 Technology

Per. 5 Home Ec.

Per. 6 Science

Per. 7 Social Studies

NICK:

Per. 1 Home Ec.

Per. 2 Drama

Per. 3 Literature

Per. 4 Technology

Per. 5 Math

Per. 6 P.E.

Per. 7 Social Studies

"Hey, we've got the next three periods together!" Nick told Catherine, who smiled and nodded casually. Sara recognized the look of a person trying to hide their true feelings, in this case overwhelming excitement. Sara turned and forced a smile in Grissom's direction.

"Hey, remember, we've got science together 6th period." Grissom just gave her a half smile and looked back at the paper. Sara, satisfied that he didn't completely hate her, grinned at everyone, who was smiling. Anyone who walked into the lunchroom would have noticed the unlikely mix of people, all leaning into the table and smiling as if they had known each other forever.

Sorry, kind of short… review! Also, I need feedback on who wants Brass in or out, and does anyone mind if I stick some original characters in here? Tell me, or I can't fix it!

Thanks!


	6. No One Said it was Easy

A/N: I do not own CSI or any of its characters….

I'm sitting here in my Nick Stokes shirt all ready to write another chapter, but before I do, I want to thank everyone who continues to read and give me positive feedback. The reason that my chapters are so short sometimes is because I can't wait to post them and hear what everyone thinks! So sorry about that, but again, you guys rock!

**VeganCSI:** It seems like Brass is sort of a schizophrenic; a soft, sensitive guy sometimes, a total jerk others. So which side do you think I should focus on? Your input means a lot to me!

**Islanders-15:** It seems there's a lot of Brass fans out there, so I probably will have Brass in. The problem, though, is if there are Brass fans, I don't want to destroy that complex character! Maybe you could help me out with Brass, since I'm not very familiar with him, if you're interested.

**Berta101:** I like that idea of Brass coming in after the dance, but I was thinking of having this story ending after the dance, and then continuing later. Would that bother you? And as I replied to VeganCSI, Brass has that split personality and I don't know which side to show. Or do you think I should show both?

**EllowynTinuviel:** Catherine's plan is definitely good-evil! Just wait… Thanks for all the advise on my story, and my life!

**QueenKate:** Sorry, but there seems to be a lot of Brass fans out there! If you read the other comments, though, you'll see that I might put him in the next part of this story if there is one. I know, I know! But I don't want to make a bad last name for Catherine, and Willows just seems to suit her style so well! So sorry for that, but I think it's better that way.

**NeoAthena:** Thanks for reading!

**Luvit:** Like I said before, it seems there's too many Brass fans to leave him out, but maybe for this part I will. Thanks for the feedback!

**Ladyemera1d:** I just love all the CSI gang to bits, so I tend to edit out the major flaws in my head. Cath seems to me like the kind of girl who would help someone crying in the bathroom, and that would usually jump-start a relationship that could have turned out crappy. Thanks!

**Jamie L.:** "Ellie" is a good episode. But (and sorry for this if you're a Brass fan) did you notice how when Nick was blamed for murder, everyone was freaking out and the whole episode revolved around that, and when Brass got blamed, no one really cared all that much? Just a little observation. Maybe my brain made it up because I LOVE NICKY! Thanks for reading and the feedback!

**Me:** At the beginning of the story, I acknowledged that they are all different ages but for the purpose of this story, they're all going to be in the same grade. And obviously, they didn't all live in the same place, but again, for the sake of this story, they do! Thanks for reading!

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Sara looked around the lunch table. Everyone was still smiling, except, of course, Grissom, who she had come to believe, never really smiled. She took a bite of her sandwich and felt a sharp kick from underneath the table. Holding back a yelp of pain, Sara looked around. Catherine was staring right at her, jerking her head toward Nick. Sara sighed and nodded at Catherine, who grinned and kept eating.

"Hey, Nick, do you have a date to the Autumn Dance yet?"

"No, not yet."

"Would you like to go with me?" Sara noticed that Catherine was holding her breath. Nick grinned at Sara and nodded.

"Sure, Sara. Thanks for asking."

Sara smiled at Catherine, who grinned back ecstatically. The bell rang and everyone in the group got up to dump the remainders of their lunches.

"Come on Nick, time for math!" Catherine called over her shoulder, already leaving the lunchroom.

"Me and you have Home Ec now, Warrick," Greg reminded Warrick, who now looked as if he had been sucking on lemons.

Sara walked out of the lunchroom with Grissom. "So, Griss. We never really got around to talking much before school started," Sara began carefully, trying not to upset him. "What's your favorite subject?"

"Science." He didn't even look at her. Sara, ignoring the sinking feeling in her stomach, pressed on.

"Really? Me too! Everything about it just fascinates me!" Grissom turned and smiled warily at her. Sara smiled back, though her smile was sad.

"Are you going to the dance with anyone?"

"Catherine invited me." Sara felt her jaw drop.

"Are you kidding?"

"No. Though I think she did it mostly out of sympathy."

"Well… it's okay with you that I go with Nick, right?"

"Sara… it's up to you who you date." Sara waved goodbye and walked into her Social Studies class. Grissom continued down the hall to P.E.

"What are you doing Catherine?" Sara whispered to herself as she sat down by herself. Consumed in her thoughts, Sara pulled out a piece of paper and began to write.

_Why can't life be simple? I wish there was somewhere I could go where my family life would be perfect… where someone would actually appreciate me for who I am. I've met so many nice people today, and the one I care most about seems to hate me. Catherine has a plan, and I'm guessing it has something to do with the dance. Hopefully she doesn't do something to make Grissom hate me even more. She and Nick seem to like each other. They just met today and they're already getting along so well. I just met Grissom today, and I've already said or done something to make him mad at me. I guess I'm lucky Catherine is a good friend. She and Nick seem to be so much more popular than Warrick, Greg, Grissom and me. _

Sara just let all the stress from her life and her day pour out onto the paper, writing through every minute of class, only stopping to tell the teacher she was present. Near the end of class, she took her pages of worries and crumpled them together tightly and then threw them towards the trashcan. Sara Sidle put her head down on her desk and bit her quivering lip, begging herself not to cry.

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Grissom stood in the corner of the gym while the rest of the class was playing a game of basketball. Grissom had never bothered himself with learning how to play, so he was excused to stand and watch. Everyone seemed to not even know Grissom was there. He was, as he was accustomed to, like a ghost. When Sara had befriended him, it was as if a light had been cast on his otherwise dreary life. When Sara had smiled at him, he felt better than he could ever remember feeling. It gave him the confidence to talk to and become friend with Nick. Being friends with Nick and Sara had led to three more friends. Grissom couldn't remember feeling like part of a group in his whole life, and suddenly, he had five friends. They didn't exactly all fit into a group, but they were friends nonetheless. Rubbing his temples, Grissom sat down on the floor, watching his classmates pass the ball back and forth.

Word had traveled that Catherine Willows, the most popular girl in the freshman year, had asked Gil Grissom, whom no one really knew anything about, to the Autumn Dance. Because of that, people were still avoiding Grissom, but looking at him more, whispering to each other about him. Annoyed by the gossip, Grissom stood and went to the bathroom. He stood next to the sink and splashed cold water in his face. Looking up at his reflection, Grissom could almost see Sara standing behind him, smiling. _I can't just block her out, _he realized. _She was my first real friend. I can be nice to her; I just have to be careful not to give her the wrong idea. _Shaking his head, Grissom wiped off his face and got ready to see her again.

> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >

The bell finally rang, and Sara lifted her head. The rest of the class was already headed out the doors. She quickly scooped up her stuff and followed them out the door. _Time for science,_ she reminded herself. The class she had most looked forward to at the beginning of the day she was now beginning to dread. She watched her feet as she walked towards science. Someone grabbed her from behind and she whirled around quickly. Warrick stood behind her, grinning from ear to ear.

"Sorry if I scared you."

"Oh, it's alright."

"Do you have science now?"

"Yeah, how about you?"

"Yep."

"Warrick, will you do me a huge favor and sit next to me?"

"Of course!" Smiling now, Sara walked confidently into science class. Grissom was already sitting there. He looked up when she entered the room and smiled at her.

_Huh?_

"Sara, Warrick. Sit here!" Extremely confused, Sara walked cautiously over to Grissom and sat down. Warrick sat on her other side. Grissom continued to smile, although he seemed nervous about something. Sara, accepting the good things, found herself smiling as well. The teacher walked stood up from his desk and walked to the front of the class. He asked the students to get into groups of four. Grissom made eye contact with Sara and Warrick, who nodded, and then turned to his other side.

"Who are you?"

"Heather." The girl sitting next to him looked into his eyes and smiled slightly.

"Would you like to be in our group, Heather?"

"Of course. But… you have not told me your name."

"I'm Grissom."

"Grissom… I'll remember that." She leaned back so she could see Sara and Warrick. "And who are you two?"

"Warrick Brown."

"Sara Sidle," Sara muttered, not exactly overjoyed with the fact that Heather and Grissom were now looking into each other's eyes. Disgusted, Sara coughed loudly. Grissom looked up.

"Are you okay, Sara?"

"Yeah, just something in my throat," Sara put her hand up and pretended to cough again, covering her smile. Heather, Grissom, Sara and Warrick each reached into the middle of the table to get a textbook. Sara accidentally rested her hand on Grissom's hand as she reached for her book. She left her hand on his for a moment, shocked at how quickly she had forgotten what just the touch of his hand made her feel inside. Then she pulled away, watching Grissom for a reaction. He didn't seem to react. He just took his book and opened it.

"How do you think he hides his emotions so well?" Sara whispered to Warrick, completely unaware that Warrick hadn't noticed what had just happened.

"What are you talking about, Sara?"

"It's like he doesn't feel anything. Hiding your emotions like that… it must be hard to do."

"No one said it was easy," Warrick commented. Sara let this sink in, and then glanced at Grissom, who was biting his lower lip in concentration. Smiling, she read her own book.

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A/N: As always, tell me what you think! The quicker I get reviews the quicker I update! Thanks!


	7. Butterflied

A/N: I do not own CSI or any of it's characters.

I just wanted everyone to know that I have decided what to do about the whole Brass thing: After the dance, this part of the story is ending. Later, I'll start a continuation of the story, and Brass will be in that. Also, Lady Heather and Veronica will become more crucial characters to the Grissom/Sara relationship. Once again, thanks to everyone who reads!

**Jamie L.:** I know! Nick is such a hottie! Anyway… I don't like Brass because he's just SUCH a jerk in the first season, but he gets better later. Thanks for all the compliments!

**leothelion04:** Thanks a lot. Warrick has the same schedule as you? Weird…

**berta101:** Well, I don't want anyone to be alone at the dance, so I'm going to go ahead with my original idea, but don't worry! I'll stick him in there soon!

**NeoAthena:** Wow! I'm really flattered! Thank you so much!

**Thelxiepi:** Thanks, and I will!

**SmOgLuVeR:** I know that you have reason to hate Sara/Grissom… I am temporarily mad at Grissom for breaking her heart so many times, they just have so many moments that just make you feel all warm inside and you just have to go "Ah!" because it's so darn cute. Aren't Cath and Nick great together? CBS should just listen to the CW/NS shippers already! Thanks for reading!

**ur sista:** Chill out! Greggo was in it a little bit, but the main focus of this story is Sara/Grissom, so CHILL! Dude, you can't have it all. You're lucky I even let you hook up with Greg! Love you too…

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"Class is over." Sara tossed her book back to the middle of the table, grinning. Not only had the class been great, but also Grissom and Warrick had been cheerful the whole time, which made Sara happier. On top of all that, Sara had been successful in keeping Grissom's attention away from Heather nearly the whole class.

"What do you guys have next?"

"Social Studies," the boys said in unison. Sara frowned and told them that she had P.E.

"At least someone you know is in your class. Otherwise, you'd be miserable," Grissom told her, still smiling. Sara noticed that as he kept smiling through the day, it became less and less forced. Sara smiled back, glad of Grissom's change in attitude. She waved goodbye to the two boys and walked into the gym. Greg was sitting on the benched, his head covered by a large hood. There was no one near him, but he was laughing at something. Curious, Sara walked quietly up to him and yanked off his hood. He looked up at her in shock.

"Veronica, I'll talk to you after school, okay? Yeah, bye!" He cheerfully snapped his cell phone shut. Sara laughed and shook her head.

"You haven't even known about her for a full day and you're already calling her in the middle of classes!"

"Is there a crime in that?"

"Just don't get caught, and don't get her in trouble."

"Can do."

Sara smiled and turned away.

"So, I saw Catherine and Nick in the hall on the way here. They were holding hands." Sara turned back.

"What?"

"Yeah. It seems like they're going out, or something."

"But Catherine begged me to ask Nick to the dance."

"And she's already going with Grissom. Maybe she wants someone who won't mind Nick being… er… preoccupied with someone else."

"She said she had a plan…"

"Knowing what I know about Catherine, that's probably not good."

Sara sat contemplating this.

"Look, don't worry about stupid things like that, Sara. Let's play ball." Smiling, Sara stood and grabbed a basketball.

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Grissom looked over at Catherine and Nick, who were just sitting and smiling at each other. Scowling, he turned to look at Warrick, who was doodling in his social studies textbook.

"Man, this bites!"Warrick said suddenly, snapping his book shut.

"Calm down Warrick, the teacher will hear you!"

"Hey, Grissom!" Suddenly out of her trance, Catherine was looking at Grissom with a serious look on her face. Trying not to cringe at the furiousness of her glare, Grissom looked at her.

"You owe me for saving you from that class, right?"

"I suppose…"

"I thought of something you can do for me… as a matter of fact, you'd probably benefit more from it than I will."

"What is it?"

"Ask Sara on a date after school today."

Grissom, caught off guard, promptly fell off his chair. Warrick scrambled to help him up and Grissom just sat on the floor with a terrified look on his face.

"Catherine, I can't! Are you serious?" Catherine grinned.

"Alright then, let's all have a big group date after school today! We can all go to each others' activities, and then go get pizza or something." Before he could speak, she cut him off.

"Come on Gil. Please?" Grissom looked at Nick and Warrick. They both looked expectant. Grissom sighed.

"Thank you!" Catherine yelped, jumping up and hugging a laughing Nick. Grissom allowed himself a small wistful smile, and then opened his own book.

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Sara nearly jumped when the bell rang. She had been laughing the whole class period at Greg's jokes and it seemed like she had hardly been in class at all. She walked to her locker with Greg, unconsciously holding his hand and swinging it in her happiness. She reached her locker and Greg leaned against the one next to hers, still cracking jokes.

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"Go on, Grissom!" Nick rooted as they approached Sara's locker. Grissom had been assigned to tell Sara about the group date, and Catherine was laughing giddily as Grissom walked slowly towards Sara's locker. Greg was with her and she was laughing out loud as he chuckled. _It seems like anyone but me can make her laugh, _Grissom realized, recalling earlier in the lunchroom when Nick had been making her face light up in the way Grissom had already come to know and love. Clearing his throat to announce his arrival, Grissom stepped towards Sara. She turned towards him, still laughing.

"Oh, hey Grissom! How was class?"

"Fine… Sara… we're all going on a group outing-"

"You mean a group date?"

"Um… yes. Greg, you're invited too, of course. We're all just going around town tonight and each person gets to pick something we get to go do… sound like fun?"

"Yeah, count me in! How about you Greg?"

"I've already got the perfect thing in mind. Can we bring Veronica?"

"Greg- you haven't even met her!"

"So, here's my chance!"

"Griss?"

"That should be fine.

"Yes!"

"Chill, Greg." Sara laughed again and pushed her locker shut. "Are we starting now?"

"Do you have to check with your parents?"

"No," Sara blurted quickly. Grissom thought she looked sad, even frightened, for a moment, but when he looked again, she looked fine, so he decided to ignore it for the time. Sara ran down the hall to hug Catherine.

"So, I hear you and Nicky are an item now?"

"I guess you could say that…" Catherine looked up adoringly at Nick, who grinned and gently kissed her forehead. Sara felt her eyes start to water, but she blinked them clear.

"So, what are we waiting for? Let's go!"

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Sara laughed. They had already picked up Veronica about half an hour ago, who had said a quick hello to Sara and then had went straight to Greg. They hadn't stopped holding hands since then. Sara smiled at Veronica, who mouthed "Oh my God!" to Sara. Shaking her head, Sara confronted the group.

"Alright, so who gets to pick the first activity?"

"How about… Nick?"

"Wow, Catherine, why'd you pick Nick?

"Shut up, Greg…"

"Alright Nick, what do you want to do?" Grissom asked, cutting Catherine off. Nick thought for a moment.

"How about we all go over Dodger Stadium and watch some baseball?"

Everyone nodded except for Grissom.

"What's wrong, Griss?" Sara touched his shoulder and he looked up at her.

"I've never seen baseball." Nick laughed.

"Trust me, you'll love it!" Grissom allowed himself to be dragged into the stadium. Nick bought everyone tickets and they took their seats.

"Hey Veronica, can I get you a hotdog or something?"

"Can you grab me some peanuts?"

"Sure, babe." Sara scoffed at Greg.

"What's up with the quick relationship, Veronica?" Veronica just grinned and looked upwards.

"I think I'm in love." Automatically, Sara stole a glance at Grissom, which brought Veronica into a loud shriek of "Ooh!" Sara elbowed her and sat back into her seat. Greg brought back Veronica's peanuts and she smiled at him.

"Look Sara!" Grissom tapped her gently on the shoulder. Sara turned in time to see the bat hit the ball with a loud crack. The player dashed across the bases and she looked at Grissom. His face was lit up in a boyish grin and his cheeks were flushed with excitement.

"Griss… it's just baseball."

"I've never done anything like this…" Sara smiled at him. He turned his head and smiled back. Sara felt her heart hammer in her chest.

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An hour later, the group of seven walked towards the library to drop Warrick off.

"I have to do a lot of studying," he apologized to the grumbling group. He waved at them before stepping into the library. Catherine, not to be discouraged, turned to the rest of them and grinned.

"Who next?"

"How about Grissom?" Sara suggested. Catherine wiggled her eyebrows at Sara who scowled at her.

"What do you want to do, Grissom?"

Grissom racked his brain, thinking of something that everyone could enjoy. He looked at Sara, who was smiling supportively and an idea came to him.

"Follow me."

"Where are we going, Griss?"

"You'll see."

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Sara was filled with awe as they walked into a large indoor garden. Thousands of butterflies flew around the mystified group. Sara's heart felt like it was melting. Grissom smiled at her.

"Do you like it, Sara?"

"Did you do this for me?" Grissom nodded. "How did you know I loved butterflies?"

Grissom reached up and gently touched a clip that was in Sara's hair. It was decorated with a butterfly. Sara, heart-touched, couldn't stop smiling. Nick and Catherine, who were holding each other on the other end of the garden, and Greg and Veronica, who were running around trying to catch the butterflies, seemed to melt into the background. Sara kept looking at Grissom, who's gentle smile seemed to affect her in ways that she had never known. A blue butterfly landed on Sara's nose. She looked at it cross-eyed in shock. Grissom walked up slowly, and then reached out to stroke the butterfly. In a split second, the butterfly flew away and the back of his hand ran slowly across Sara's cheek. Sara felt her breath catch in her throat. Grissom jerked back awkwardly. Sara smiled helplessly at him, praying that what had just happened wouldn't spoil the rest of the night. Grissom, however, seemed completely unaffected by it, while Sara could still feel her heart dancing around in her chest. Catherine and Nick had let the sereneness of the butterflies strike something within their hearts. They were gently kissing each other while Sara and Grissom looked on. Sara looked around for Veronica, who was sitting by a pond while Greg held her face in his hands. Torn between being happy for her friends and jealous, she looked over at Grissom, who was also watching the two couples with a longing kind of look on his face. Sara watched him for a moment, and then stared up at the bright colors of the butterflies.

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A/N: I loved those moments! Sorry I don't have Warrick in there that much, I just want to focus on the couples for a while. Tell me what you think; I am having SO much fun with this! Also, I need ideas for what Veronica and Greg will pick. Don't worry, they choose together. I already know what Catherine and Sara are doing, so any ideas for Greg would be great!

Love you all!


	8. Holding Hands

A/N: Sorry if I don't have characters personal lives right. For example, I don't know how old Sara was when he Mom stabbed her Dad to death, so I'm just going to assume that it hasn't happened yet. R&R. Thanks to everyone who has read this so far, you guys are the best!

I do not own any of the CSI characters… but I dream and pray. That's all one can do!

Catnip: Thank you! It was baseball, by the way, lol.

Ur sista: Okay…. Love you!

Jamie L.: I know… that's why I'm mad at Grissom, for breaking Sara's heart so many times!

Enjoy!

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"Look, we've only got about and hour left before nine, and that's when I need to head home, so why don't we stop now and we can continue this tomorrow after school? Then Warrick can come along if he wants to pick something, we can do my thing, Greg and Veronica will pick something and last we'll do Sara's, is that okay with everyone?" Everyone nodded and went their separate ways. Nick kissed Catherine goodbye, leaving her with a dreamy smile on her face as she walked home. Greg and Veronica followed suit. Grissom and Sara stood awkwardly watching as they had all night. Soon, they were left standing alone by a movie theatre.

"Do you have to be home anytime soon, Griss?" Sara asked, eying the posters of what movies were playing. Grissom shook his head and Sara took a deep breath. _I'm just going to trust what my heart is telling me, _she decided.

"Would you like to see a movie?" Grissom looked at her, shocked.

"Sara… I don't think we should do this."

"Why not Grissom? Let's have a great end to a great night."

"Sara."

"Grissom- it's just a movie. It's not a life-changing experience to see Must Love Dogs or Dark Water. Just a movie. As friends," she promised. She would be satisfied to spend any time with Grissom, as friends or as a couple. Truthfully, Sara had been thinking of what it would be like to kiss Grissom after watching the other four in the group doing so all night. She could see Grissom was thinking it over and she decided to stay quiet and wait.

"Alright. Which one do you want to see?"

Smiling at each other, they decided to see Dark Water. Sara felt her spirits rise. Dark Water was the scariest movie playing, a perfect opportunity to need some handholding. However, she didn't want to take advantage of this, so she continued to ask Grissom if he really wanted to see that movie.

"Sara. It's fine." Smiling, she walked into the theatre. _Okay, Grissom. You asked for it! _

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Two hours and two extra large popcorns later, Sara and Grissom walked out the theatre together. Sara hadn't really been scared, so she didn't want to hold Grissom's hand without reason, especially if they were going as friends, but Grissom had reached out and grabbed her hand at one point. Shocked, she had just stared at their entwined fingers for a moment, and then squeezed his hand comfortingly. Realizing what he had done, Grissom quickly pulled away and didn't look at Sara for the rest of the movie. Sara smiled inside when she remembered this. Asking him to the movie gave Sara a feeling of strength that she had never felt.

"Will you walk me home?" She asked Grissom. Grissom smiled a little at this request and nodded. They walked slowly through a park together. It was around 11:00, so there were only a few people out. Many of them were sitting on park benches holding each other close. Sara watched them, her heart aching. Soon they were close to Sara's house. Not wanting to get cold feet, Sara turned to Grissom and stared into his eyes.

"Grissom- please listen to me. We just met today, I know… but don't you feel a connection between us?" Grissom searched her face, looking for a hint of a joke. No one had ever been friendly towards him until today, much less liked him the way Sara seemed to be implying she did. "Don't you?" She seemed to be pleading.

"Sara… we're just friends." He seemed to say this with ease. Sara felt her eyes fill with tears.

"Oh my gosh, Grissom, I am so sorry. I must be just imagining that I feel the way I do about you."

"Sara, please. It wouldn't be smart.

"You're right, Grissom. Please, just forget I said anything." She smiled sadly at him, then turned on her heel and ran towards her house. Grissom stood and watched her leave. She had tried to run as quickly as she could, but Grissom could still hear her sobs in his mind as he watched her disappear into her house.

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Grissom stood alone in the park, horrified at what had just happened. It had been the hardest thing he had ever done to reject Sara. All the emotions pile up between them scared him more than words could say. If he did become romantically involved with Sara, she could hurt him so easily. Even with the friendships he had developed that day could hurt him. Grissom panicked, realizing that if he couldn't act natural with Sara the next day at school, she might hate him. He didn't have to worry about that when he got to school the next morning though, for Sara was absent from all her classes, he learned from Warrick. Worried and confused, at lunch Grissom went to the only person who he thought could help him now.

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"Hi, Mrs. Sidle. I'm Catherine Willows, a friend of Sara's. Can I come up?

"Sure. Sara's in bed. She's not feeling well." Catherine walked up the stairs and heard someone gasping for breath. "Sara?" She called. The noise stopped. Catherine waited and soon a door opened to show a puffy-eyes Sara.

"Catherine? Why aren't you in school?" She opened the door wider and Catherine walked in. The walls were a light pink and everything in Sara's room looked comfortable. Catherine sat on the bed and Sara sat next to her. After a moment, Sara's body began to shake with sobs again.

"Oh, Sara," Catherine cried, hugging her crying friend. Sara pulled away to talk to Catherine.

"How did you know?"

"It's lunch break and Grissom came to me. He seemed to be freaked out about something." Sara laughed a little. "He's sorry as hell, Sara. He may not have said it, but he cared enough to tell me what happened and send me over." Sara looked up, wiping her tears.

"I just don't understand, Catherine. I don't remember ever feeling this way about anyone. I've only known him a day, and I just feel so confused. He won't even give us a chance. He pushes my emotions away and tries to pretend they don't exist. And I think that's what hurts the most. He knows how I feel. He just doesn't care." Catherine took Sara by the shoulders.

"Sara, believe me, he cares about you." Sara smiled. "Look, you don't have to come to the rest of school, but meet us at the park-" seeing Sara's expression, Catherine winced. "Sorry, that was stupid. Anywhere but the park. Okay, meet us right outside of school at 3:00 so we can continue our group date." She stood and walked towards the door. "By they way- Grissom said he wanted to thank you for asking him to a movie. He had a great time." She walked out of the room. Sara watched her walk towards the school from her window. Catherine turned, saw her in the window and grinned at her. Pressing her hand against the glass, Sara smiled back. Sitting on her bed, Sara sighed and looked around. A wad of soaked tissues was in a pile at the foot of her bed and her pillow was tear-stained. Laughing softly at herself, Sara began to clean up.

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Grissom stood outside school, looking around anxiously for Sara. Nick was sitting cross-legged on the ground, stroking Catherine's hair as she rested her head in his lap. Warrick and Greg stood next to each other, Warrick reading "Pride and Prejudice", Greg reading "Chess Masters of Our Time". Grissom noted all these things to distract himself.

"Hey Gil," Catherine called. Grissom looked back to her. She smiled at him and pointed down the street. He turned to see Sara walking towards him, smiling. She had a flowing black shirt on and a simple pair of jeans, but Grissom thought she looked angelic with the sun giving her figure a silhouette look from Grissom's perspective. Grissom walked to her. She was still smiling.

"You look stunning, Sara," Grissom allowed himself to say. Sara laughed.

"You look good too, Gil." They walked to the rest of the group. Veronica had now joined them, still in her school's uniform. They all walked towards the town.

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"So, Warrick, what do you want to do?"

"Hey, I'm just along for the ride," Warrick laughed, walking beside Catherine.

"Alright then, Veronica and Greg?" They grinned wickedly at each other.

"Well, we had a brilliant idea," Greg started.

"It was pretty much Greg's idea, wasn't it baby?" Greg wiggled his eyebrows.

"Veronica, be careful not to bloat his head more than needed," Sara warned, her spirits high.

"Well, we're going to an amusement park for an hour!" Everyone exclaimed in delight, except Grissom, who looked pale.

"What's wrong Grissom?" Sara asked, noticing right away that something was up.

"I've never been to an amusement park either," he admitted to Sara in a quiet voice. Sara laughed like she had the day before at Greg and Nick and Grissom felt his heart beat faster. _I like making her laugh_ he realized.

"I won't tell anyone," Sara promised. Grissom smiled thankfully.

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Soon, they reached the amusement park. Greg and Veronica's eyes lit up as they saw all the rides. Running in after paying, the laughed and clasped hands, headed for the nearest roller coaster. Grissom could hear the people screaming already and closed his eyes, feeling queasy. Sara hesitated, not wanting to repeat the night before, and then rubbed his back softly. Grissom sighed, not really in the moment and not fully aware of what was happening.

"It's okay, Grissom," Sara whispered in his ear, squeezing his shoulders. She could feel him loosen up under her touch. Taking a risk, she moved her hands upwards and let her fingertips gently rub his head as her fingers dragged through his curly hair. Grissom sighed again, completely relaxed. Sara stepped away, watching as his eyes fluttered open.

"Let's go," Sara suggested before Grissom could make a comment. Nodding and still smiling, Grissom stepped up to the ticket booth with her. They purchased their tickets and walked in. Warrick, Catherine and Nick were already riding with Greg and Veronica. They walked around for a while, looking for their friends. They spotted Catherine and Nick coming out the end of the tunnel of love, Catherine's arms draped around Nick's shoulders. They all joined up and found Warrick observing the booths that were selling souvenirs. They dragged him away to find Greg and Veronica screaming their heads off, mostly for the fun of screaming, on the Ring of Fire. The ride stopped.

"Come on, guys!" Sara screamed up.

"You have to go on this first!" They screamed back, laughed and huggin eachother.

"What the hell, let's try it," Nick laughed. Sara looked at Grissom.

"Griss- I really want to ride this, but if you don't want to, I'll sit it out with you," she offered. Grissom sighed.

"I can't have you sitting out all night. Let's go."

"Yes!" Sara exclaimed, pumping her arm into the air.

"Hurry, before I chicken out." They rushed forward. The seats were in couples, so Greg and Veronica sat next to each other, Catherine and Nick sat next to each other, Sara was sitting next to Grissom for morale support, and Warrick sat down next to a smiling girl from their school. A man came around and strapped them all in. Grissom already felt the fear rising in his chest. Sara looked over and held out her hand. Grissom took it without a second thought and the ride started. The cars crept slowly up… then backed up a little bit… crept forward more…. Soon they whole car was going upside down and backwards. Grissom still wasn't scared. He even felt a bit… relieved. The roller coaster reminded him of his own emotions. It seemed to relax him. He found himself laughing. Sara looked over in surprise and Grissom turned to her, still laughing. He had such an insane look on his face that Sara laughed as well. They both looked forward again, still laughing. Grissom thrust his hands into the air, still holding Sara's. Sara was a little shocked that he hadn't let go, but she put her other hand into the air and screamed happily.

"Nicky, look," Catherine screamed against the clanking of the ride and the rushing of the wind. Looking up, Nick saw Sara's and Grissom's hands clasping each other's in the air. Catherine sighed. "I knew they'd work it out." Nick smiled and kissed the top of her head.

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A/N: So romantic! I just had to have Sara make some moves here, or she and Griss would NEVER hook up! Tell me what you think please! The sooner you review, the sooner I write more!


	9. If I'm Not in Love With You

A/N: Okay, there's a lot of happy Griss in here. Now, some of you may say that he doesn't act happy. See the episode where he buys Lindsey a Chemlab for her birthday. DID YOU SEE HIS FACE? Just proof that Gil Grissom can, in fact, be silly.

I do not own CSI or any of its characters, nor do I own any of the songs mentioned in this chapter.

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Everyone jumped off of the roller coaster, Grissom, for once, acting just as excited as the rest of the group. They decided to go on all the roller coasters since they only had a limited amount of time. Grissom enthusiastically supported this idea. The girl who Warrick had sat to on the Ring of Fire joined the group. He introduced her to everyone.

"This is Jamie. She used to live next door to me, but she moved away two years ago." She smiled at everyone, and then turned to Warrick. He smiled awkwardly at her, and she grinned. Warrick laughed, and Jamie suddenly stepped closer to Warrick. He looked down into her eyes awkwardly. She gently took off his glasses and kissed him on the lips.

Everyone looked on in surprise as Warrick's eyes widened. Soon, he closed his eyes and kissed her back.

"Damn," Sara muttered. She had grown to love the fact that there was at least one other person in the group didn't belong to a couple. These two had just met and already they were kissing? Well, they had known each other for years before now… Sara looked at Grissom, who was still giddy from the excitement of the roller coaster. Smiling, Sara walked closer to him and whispered, "Do you want to go grab some ice cream?" Grissom nodded, that goofy expression still all over his face. They walked towards a small stall and Sara looked over her shoulder. The other couples, apparently inspired by Warrick's long-lost love, had begun to hug and kiss each other. Seeing her friends all so happy made Sara insanely jealous. Why couldn't she find someone to be happy with? Grissom ordered his Double Chocolate Chunk ice cream and Sara ordered Raspberry Swirl. They sat together on a bench licking their ice cream cones. Sara was thoughtfully watching the other couples, so she didn't notice that Grissom was looking at her.

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It had been hard for Sara to act like the night before hadn't happened. Grissom had hurt her more than she had let on even for Catherine. When she was with Grissom however, she seemed to forget- for a little while at least- that he had hurt her so much. Soon, after riding several more roller coasters, all of which Grissom enjoyed, they left the park.

"So, Cath, what's your plan?" Catherine turned to all of them with a grin.

"We're going shopping for the dance." Sara felt her jaw drop. Jamie and Veronica squealed excitedly. Greg looked skeptical, Warrick seemed neutral, Nick was laughing at Catherine and Grissom was smiling, though Sara suspected this was from his newfound love in roller coasters. They walked into a cheap, but sophisticated shop. The girls all ran off to the dresses and the boys went to look for dress shirts.

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"Oh my gosh Veronica, you would look great in this!"

"Sara, you just have to try this on!"

"Jamie, you're not seriously considering that dress, are you?"

"Cath, what's wrong?" Catherine was standing aside, biting her lip.

"I don't know what Nick would like," she told the concerned group. Sara laughed.

"You're going with Grissom, remember? As for Nick, he'll love you in whatever you pick. I guarantee it! That's the best part of love!" Sara realized what she had said. "Not that I would know…" Catherine smiled at her.

"Let's try some thing on."

Jamie walked out of the room in her choice, a flowing lavender gown.

Veronica chose a short and simple black dress.

Catherine's dress caused Sara's breath to catch in her throat. It was a strapless emerald green dress with a chiffon train hugging her waist and going down to her ankles. It fit Catherine's body perfectly and she looked perfect in it.

"Catherine, if you don't get that, I will personally kill you," Sara sighed. Catherine giggled and hugged Sara.

"What about your dress?"

"No one can see," Sara grinned at the other girls, who looked pouty. "I'm afraid if anyone sees it I'll change my mind about it." The other girls accepted this and went off to get the boys.

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Nick had chosen a simple button-down black dress shirt. Warrick had gone with a green that accented his eyes. Greg had pulled out the wackiest one there, an orange and green zigzagged shirt. Grissom seemed hesitant to pick anything. The boys were trying to suggest things to him when the girls showed up.

"Everyone got something?"

"I don't. But I'll pick something up before the dance, I promise." Sara smiled at him, imagining him dressed up. All of them left, smiling and with empty wallets.

"All right Sara, try to end this group date with a bang. Where are we going?"

"A little coffee house."

"Coffee… cool…" Sara could hear the disappointment in her voice.

"With karaoke, of course." Catherine's face lit up in a grin.

"ALL RIGHT SARA!" She shrieked, hugging her friend excitedly. Sara smiled.

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They all walked in smiling. Everyone was muttering about what song to sing, and Grissom had already flat-out refused to sing tonight.

"I'll cheer everyone on, though," He promised.

Veronica and Greg charged up to the front first, each grabbing a microphone, smiling at each other and selecting their song. The first notes started and they sang together enthusiastically.

"Don't go breaking my heart," Veronica sang to Greg, smiling and shaking her finger at him.

"I couldn't if I tried," Greg sang back, his voice slightly off-key, but pleasant to listen to all the same. They sang through the song with the rest of the gang cheering at the tables.

They finished off together, hugging each other and swaying to the rhythm.

"So don't misunderstand me  
You put the light in my life  
You put the sparks to the flame  
I've got your heart in my sights."

Everyone in the coffee house applauded politely and the rest of the gang stood and whistled loudly. Catherine went up alone, picking her song.

Catherine started off, her voice pleasant and clear. "What I like about you, is you hold me tight. Tell me I'm the only one, wanna come over tonight." She winked at Nick, who blew her a kiss. Sara watched her friend strut around on the stage and doubted that she had the courage to do what she had decided to do last night. Cath's song ended and everyone clapped, Nick smiling widely at her. He met her halfway back to the table and took her in his arms. She smiled at him and he dipped her back and kissed her. This brought more clapping and whistling then her song had. Nick walked up to the stage and took the mike.

"Uh… I wish I knew a sweet song like the one Catherine just sang, but the only one I really know well enough to sing is this one." The music started and Nick cleared his throat and began. "It was Christmas in Las Vegas when the locals hit the town, Theresa hit a streak and put her waitress apron down." No one really knew the song, but Nick's voice swooped up and down perfectly, his words twanging in exactly the right places. Soon, everyone was into it. Nick finished off with a flourish of spinning around and landing on his knees. Everyone laughed; the group of high school students singing at this usually quiet place cheered everyone up considerably. Nick grinned at the crowd and walked back to the table. Warrick and Jamie had decided not to sing, preferring to cheer on their friends and sip on coffee instead. Sara stood shakily, her friends encouraging her. She stepped onto the stage and looked out at everyone. Despite her nervousness, Sara knew what she wanted to do. She took a deep breath.

"Well, you're out there, and you'll know this is for you," she spoke into the microphone, closing her eyes in preparation. The music started, the slow chords of the piano filling the silent coffee house. Sara looked at Grissom, building her strength, and began to sing.

_If I'm not in love with you  
What is this I'm going through, tonight  
And if my heart is lying then  
What should I believe in  
Why do I go crazy  
Everytime I think about you baby  
Why else do I want you like I do  
If I'm not in love with you_

Sara felt tears fill her eyes, her voice full of the pain she felt. She didn't dare to look at anyone she knew, because she was sure that they all knew whom she was singing her heart to.

_And if I don't need your touch  
Why do I miss you so much, tonight  
If it's just infatuation  
Why is my heart aching  
To hold you forever  
Give a part of me I thought I'd never  
Give again to someone I could lose  
If I'm not in love with you _

Tears were now flowing freely down her face, her eyes still closed.

Oh why in every fantasy  
Do I feel your arms embracing me  
Like lovers lost in sweet desire  
And why in dreams do I surrender  
Like a little baby  
How do I explain this feeling  
Someone tell me

Sara blinked tears from her eyes, looking down so she didn't chance seeing any of her friends' faces.

If I'm not in love with you  
What is this I'm going through, tonight  
And if this heart is lying then  
What should I believe in  
Why do I go crazy  
Every time I think about you baby  
Why else do I want you like I do  
If I'm not in love with you"

Her voice faded off and everything was silent. Sara finally looked up at the audience. Several strangers were crying at separate tables. Catherine was looking at Sara with tears in her eyes, which were full of sympathy for her friend. Nick, Greg and Warrick were all looking up at Sara, confused and understanding at the same time. Veronica was biting her bottom lip. Sara allowed her eyes to find Grissoms'.

Grissoms' blue eyes were full of guilt and pain. Sara watched as a single tear rolled down his cheek. He stood abruptly and walked out of the room, wiping away the only hint of what he truly felt from his face. Sara watched him go, and when he walked out the door, Sara fell to her knees on the stage. Catherine and Veronica rushed up to her, helping her up. Sara looked up at them, smiling.

"I told him, didn't I?" She bit her lip and ran from the coffee house, blinded by her tears.

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A/N: Tell me what you think please! I'll respond to reviews for the last three chapters next time!


	10. Feeling Complete

A/N: I was a little hesitant to post that last chapter, but I'm glad I did! I hope everyone liked it! This is the last chapter in this story; I'm debating whether to continue or not, so be sure to tell me what you think I should do! Now, for responses!

**Jamie L.: **I know! Nicky rocks! And Grissom will find himself dead at my hands if he doesn't hook up with Sara soon! Thanks so much for reading!

**LeaH: **Thanks so much! I put Veronica and Jamie in #1: I didn't like leaving Warrick and Greg alone and #2: Sara needed to see that everyone she cared about had someone to love so she'd GET HER BUTT IN GEAR!

**Ur sista: **Thanks V, hoped you liked it and hope you had fun in Cuba.

**Navaer: **Thanks! It really means a lot to me!

**Catnip: **Thanks a lot!

**EllowynTinvuiel: **Heather doesn't have big part in this, but I will most likely continue and she will play a big part! You'll see… hee hee

**QueenKate: **lol, yes, she rocks!

**RoxyLo: **thanks!

**CSIrookiechick: **Thanks, and thanks for reading!

**Islanders-15: **If I continue this story, I would love your help with Brass! Write to me at Hellsinggirl at aol dot com!

**SmOgLuVeR:** Thanks!

**Thelxiepi: **Thanks so much!

I do not own CSI or any of its characters. Nick is mine in my dreams, though…those are good dreams!

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Sara Sidle looked out her window, her tears just now stopping. The stars were all twinkling in the dark sky, and Sara had been sitting there for hours now, just crying to the stars. She felt so many emotions tearing through her heart; sadness, proud, guilt, joy. She was sad because she could have just destroyed her relationship with Grissom, proud because she had found the perfect way to tell him how she felt and she had actually gone through with it, guilty for making Grissom cry, and joyful because it was over and Grissom understood what she had gone through. She took one last look at the stars and crawled into bed, exhausted from crying for hours.

She had only been sleep for a few minutes when she heard something hit her window. Jumping up, Sara ran to the glass and looked out. All she could see were the stars and the moon, lighting up the lawn. Something hit her window again and she looked down. Grissom stood beneath her window, a few small pebbles in his hands, looking up anxiously at her window. Her heart hammering in her chest, Sara ran out of her room and to the front door. Taking a deep breath, she quietly opened the door and walked out. Her bare feet collected the dew covering the grass as she walked towards Grissom. He was smiling at her.

"Sara," he breathed, looking at her.

"Grissom, I am so-"

"Shh." He held his finger over her lips. "I love you Sara Sidle." Sara's eyes filled with tears.

"I love you too, Gil Grissom." Grissom placed his hand gently on her cheek, running his hand down it. Sara closed her eyes and leaned into his chest, breathing in his smell. He smiled and leaned in to kiss her.

Her eyes popped open as an annoying beeping filled her room. She turned over and saw that her alarm clock was going off. She turned it off, smiling at her dream. Then she remembered in a panic.

"Oh no. Today's the dance." She jumped out of bed quickly and got dressed. Tossing her dress into her backpack with some make up, Sara ran downstairs to eat her breakfast.

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Grissom woke up. His head was pounding from all the thinking he had done the night before. Sara had gotten through to him in a powerful way; she had sung to a group of strangers about how she felt, and Grissom could tell she meant it. He had dismissed her feelings the night before without a second thought. As Grissom had sat at his window, looking at the stars all night, he realized that he didn't want to hurt Sara again. She had become his first real friend, and although he didn't know what to do about her affection for him, he knew in his heart that they would work it out. Early on, when he first left the coffee house, he had gone back to the clothing store and purchased a shirt, thinking of her the whole time. He walked around downtown for a long time, despite the late hour. He had walked into his house at around midnight, still thinking. Now, he thought he finally knew what to do. He realized as he sat there thinking of her that he didn't want to hide it all inside anymore. He wanted to tell someone what he was really feeling for once, he wanted someone to care about him. Closing his eyes to clear his head, Grissom got dressed and got ready for school.

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The day seemed to speed by for everyone. Catherine's friends had finally claimed her back, dragging her away from the rest of the group. The only person they let Catherine speak to was Nick, since he was a jock. The rest of them were taboo, and they missed her company. She passed them a note at lunch though before running off to join her friends.

_Gil, Sara (if you're here), Warrick, Jamie, Greg:_

_I'm so sorry about this! I promise I'll ditch them at the dance and be with you guys. Nick wants me to say that he wishes he could stick with you guys, but they would probably kick him off the team if he did. It goes for me too. You guys are the best for putting up with us. Please forgive us! See you after school!_

_Love from Cath and Nick._

"Where _is _Sara?" Grissom asked the group, anxious to see her and dreading it at the same time.

"Well, she was in all the classes but literature," Warrick told Grissom, who bit his lip in thought.

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After lunch, Sara was also absent from Science, though Greg informed Grissom as he passed him in the hall that Sara had been in P.E. The rest of the day was a blur of people exclaiming about the dance. Soon the final bell rang and all the girls jumped up, stampeding towards the restrooms. Grissom still hadn't seen Sara all day.

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Grissom, Nick and Warrick waited outside the bathroom for their dates. The other boys had already congratulated Grissom on his shirt, a silky looking cotton button-down shirt that was a light blue that matched his eyes perfectly. Jamie came out first, pecking Warrick on the cheek. They headed towards the gym, where the music was already playing loudly. Nick and Grissom stood together in the hall, not saying a word. They heard someone shriek in shock, but they thought nothing of it. Soon, Catherine came out, grinning. Nick gasped, not hiding his shock at her beauty. Grissom stepped forward to take Catherine to the gym, but Catherine took Nick's arm.

"Catherine?" Catherine turned to smile at Grissom.

"I'm going with Nick. Don't freak out, Grissom. You still have a date. Sara will be out soon." Grissom felt his jaw drop. "Don't worry, she knows about it. You may have heard her shriek…" Catherine chuckled. Nick looked as surprised as Grissom did, although his surprise was filled with delight as well. They walked away, leaving a flabbergasted Grissom with no choice but to wait for Sara. He didn't have to wait long. Sara stepped out of the bathroom with a hesitant look on her face. She was glad to see Grissom's face light up as he took her in. Her deep red dress clung to her body, showing off her neck. It stopped just short of touching the floor. A ruby necklace hung around her neck, obvious and beautiful on the low neckline. It was actually a simple outfit, but to Grissom she looked like an angel. Her hair was curled more than normal and piled elegantly on top of her head. She had very little make-up on, her natural beauty shining through a light shade of lipstick and her pink eye shadow. Grissom couldn't speak.

"Hi, Grissom," Sara breathed softly, afraid what he might say when he found his voice again.

"Sara… you look beautiful." Sara smiled in relief. "Can we go?" He took Sara's arm and they walked together to the dance floor. As they walked in, a slow song was just beginning. Sara could see Catherine and Nick swaying together, holding each other like they would never let go. Sara looked at Grissom, who was staring at her.

"May I have this dance?" He asked. Sara nodded, not trusting herself to speak, and he slowly reached for her. His hands found the small of her back and he rested them there gently. Sara, breathing shakily, draped her arms around his neck. They both stood timidly for a moment, swaying together to the slow beat of the music. Soon, Sara allowed herself to rest her head on Grissoms' shoulder. He made no move of protest, so she left it there for a while before speaking.

"Griss-" she whispered, her head still next to his. It felt so good to be with him; she never wanted this song to end. "Let's just forget that last night ever happened, okay?"

"No, Sara. It's not okay."

Alarmed, Sara lifted her head and looked into his eyes.

"I didn't know how much I was hurting you. I don't want to forget- and I never want to hurt you again."

"Grissom-" Sara began, but Grissom placed one finger gently over her lips. Sara smiled at him. The song began to fade away, and Grissom pulled Sara close to him. Closing her eyes, Sara leaned forward and Grissom's warm lips met hers. Sara felt the ice that had covered her heart the last three days melt away completely as Grissom held her close to him. The song ended, leaving Sara and Grissom alone together in silence, finally feeling complete.

The End

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A/N: I wanted to thank all my reviewers. I don't know if I should continue with the story or leave it where it is, so please tell me what you think, and thank you all again.


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